Images
by forensicsfan
Summary: Sara has a night off and decides to explore an outside interest, who does she run into along the way?


**Disclaimer:** I don't own them, I didn't create them, and I don't profit from them. I would, however, love to have coffee with George Eads sometime.

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**Sara's Point of View:**

It started out innocently enough. I had been trying to relax; find an outside interest as it were. There was an exhibit of Annie Lebowitz photographs in town that I decided to go see on my first night off in I don't know how long. I even dressed up for the occasion regardless of the fact that I had gone alone. I just wanted to enjoy the experience fully and somehow, a dress and those obscenely expensive shoes I'd bought and never worn seemed perfect for just such an evening.  
  
I wandered through the exhibit, studying each photograph carefully and wondering if I hadn't chosen a career in forensics if I might have tried photography instead. I was standing in front of one particularly interesting photo when I heard a familiar chuckle.  
  
I couldn't help the smile that pulled at the corners of my mouth as I casually glanced over my shoulder to find Nick Stokes standing there smiling at me. I had forgotten that he had the night off too.  
  
"So, Sara, this is what you do when you're not at work." There was a definite teasing tone in that drawl of his and his expression was filled with amusement.  
  
I raised an eyebrow at him in challenge and smirked. "I never would have guessed I'd run into you here." I glanced around trying to identify which woman milling around the exhibit he was with.  
  
He chuckled and gave me a knowing look. "You can stop looking, Sara, I came alone."  
  
I'm sure that surprise must have registered on my face, I mean, Nick Stokes has quite the reputation around the lab as a ladies man, but then again, I hadn't heard about 'the flavor of the month', as Greg refers to them, in quite a while.  
  
Nick looked nonplussed. "What? I can't enjoy art simply for the sake of enjoying art?"  
  
I tried to cover my slight embarrassment with a smirk. "No, I'm just surprised that's all."  
  
He glanced around curiously and then back at me. "So who are you here with?"  
  
I had to laugh. "Who says I'm here with anyone?" My love life or the lack thereof has been fuel for speculation around the lab, especially in connection with our boss, Gil Grissom. And, while I have to admit that I was attracted to him and had even asked him out, I've moved on. I've come to the conclusion that we are too much alike to ever have a workable romantic relationship.  
  
Nick looked at me with a cocky expression that conveyed that he thought I was feeding him a line of bull.  
  
I smirked. "Really. I'm here alone." I raised my eyebrow at him again. "What? I can't dress up and go out by myself?"  
  
Nick smiled as he took in my appearance. "I didn't say that. It's just that you look pretty damn sexy."  
  
I'm sure that my cheeks were a little pink after hearing Nick's comment because they certainly felt warm. "And you thought I was trying to impress someone."  
  
His expression told me that I'd hit the nail on the head, but he flatly denied it. "I didn't say that."  
  
I looked at him curiously. He was pretty dressed up himself for coming to an exhibit by himself. "So why are you so dressed up?" I gestured around the room. "Trying an alternative to clubbing?" I don't know why I was so curious except that he looked exceptional handsome tonight.  
  
He chuckled and mimicked my own words back at me in that smooth drawl. "What? I can't get dressed up and go out by myself?"  
  
I smiled. "Ok, I suppose I asked for that."  
  
We continued talking as we made our way through the exhibit. It had never occurred to me that Nick was actually into photography, but then I suppose the only context we ever saw each other using a camera in were crime scenes. He was actually pretty knowledgeable and I enjoyed spending the evening with him even though it hadn't been planned that way.  
  
We came to the end of the exhibit and I suddenly realized that I really didn't want to part company with Nick just then. It was only ten and both of our body clocks were timed on a nightshift schedule.  
  
I glanced over at him and smiled as we walked out of the exhibit. "Do you want to come over for a while? Watch a movie or something?"  
  
He studied me for a fraction of a second and then a wide smile spread across his face. "I'd love that." He gestured towards where he'd parked his vehicle. "I'll meet you there." His brow furrowed for a moment. "Want me to pick up something to eat."  
  
I had to laugh; I swear that Nick could eat anytime food was put in front of him. "Yeah, that sounds great. You remember where I live, don't you?" I'd had him and Warrick over a few times after shift, but it had been a while.  
  
He nodded. "Ok then." He turned and headed off to where he'd parked and I headed to my own car.  
  
I'm not sure why I didn't change out of that dress, maybe it was the comment Nick had made about me looking sexy, or maybe it was the fact that he looked pretty sexy himself, or maybe it was the combination of those two factors mixed with the fact that we'd flirted with each other pretty shamelessly for years, in any case, when I opened the door to let him in, I could see that he was glad I hadn't changed.  
  
We settled ourselves on my couch with a bottle of wine and the Chinese take out Nick had picked up. I had put a movie in the DVD player although I'm not sure either of us was really paying attention to it. I found myself slowly drifting towards Nick as we lounged on the couch, our shoes kicked off under the coffee table. Halfway through the movie, we'd finished off the bottle of wine and were unapologetically snuggled together. Nick had his arm around my shoulder and he was alternately playing with my hair and trailing his fingers up and down my arm. I on the other hand, kept fingering his tie and had my head on his shoulder.  
  
I don't think it came as any surprise to either of us when Nick trailed his fingers along my cheek and I glanced up at him smiling before I kissed him.  
  
The movie became background noise as we traded soft deep kisses, intent on exploring every nook and cranny of each others mouths. I'm not sure how much time had gone by, but by the time we pulled apart to catch our breaths, the movie was over, Nick's tie was missing and I'd managed to unbutton his shirt. I pulled myself off of the couch bringing Nick with me as I began to slowly walk backwards towards my bedroom. At that moment I wanted nothing more than to feel the naked weight of him pinning me to my bed as our bodies slid against each other.  
  
By the time we'd reached my bed, we'd left a trail of clothing behind us and that dress which had been inspired by those obscenely expensive shoes lay in a heap on the floor. In retrospect now, I'd say those shoes were a bargain because my expectations were not disappointed and as we lay there tangled in my sheets, a gleam of sweat covering our bodies I grinned at him. "That was amazing."  
  
He grinned back at me and rolled towards me, placing a soft sensuous kiss against my lips. "You're amazing."  
  
I think we looked like a couple of fools as we lay there grinning at each other. He confessed something to me that night that I found ironic. Despite my distraction with Grissom, something had been very clear to me since the day that I had arrived in Vegas and it was something that had been clear to him as well. We were meant to be together.


End file.
